


When Tragedy Struck [paused]

by anna_thewriter



Category: Anne of Green Gables (TV 1985) & Related Fandoms, Anne of Green Gables - L. M. Montgomery, Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: Cute, F/M, How Do I Tag, I Don't Even Know, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, POV Female Character, Romance, Strong Female Characters, Tragedy, Tragic Romance, What Have I Done
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-25
Updated: 2020-02-25
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:21:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,204
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22887757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anna_thewriter/pseuds/anna_thewriter
Summary: Marilla, a bright 16-year-old girl with a good future ahead of her, learns that a single moment can change everything. It changes hopes, dreams, family, romance, and your entire future. When a tragedy strikes her happy family, can she bear the new weight on her shoulders? Or will it all be too much?Based off of Marilla's younger days after her brother's death.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 6





	1. The Tragedy

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Hey guys! I have never really written an au before so this is fun... I hope you enjoy [Also this is a shorter story with short chapters and low chapter amounts]

It was a cool October morning when Marilla heard. Micheal was deathly ill. Even years later, the fear and thoughts coursing through her would remain perfectly intact. This was the last day she saw her elder brother alive, and the last moments before her life changed forever.

Marilla had been sitting at the bottom of a beautiful oak tree in the woods behind her house. She was carefully patching clothes for her younger brother Matthew. Suddenly, Matthew burst out of the house, running faster than she had ever seen him run.

"Marilla!" Matthew screamed in panic, "It's Michael! He's sick come fast!"

Marilla hopped up and chased after Matthew into the house. If Matthew was running that fast, something must be really wrong. Marilla ran up the stairs and into Micheal's room where he was lying on his bed with doctors surrounding him. Marilla glanced towards her mother, who was shaking and sobbing in fear. 'I guess I need to be the strong one today' Marilla thought sadly.

"Matt-, Mar-," Micheal's voice barely carried over the few feet between him and his siblings. "If something happens to me-" Marilla quickly cut him off, "NO. Nothing will happen to you," Marilla had tears bubbling up in her eyes, like a wave about to fall onto the shore.

"Mar- listen. There is a good chance I won't make it," Micheal whispered to her, loud enough for just her to hear. Marilla looked up at her brother with shining eyes, but stayed quiet. "When I am gone, take care of Mother. She is already having trouble dealing with Dad, but me too will be too much,"

Matthew and Marilla hugged Micheal and left after an hour or so. The only thing they heard was "Influenza" before the door was shut.

Micheal died that night. The night when everything changed.


	2. The Following Storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI AGAIN
> 
> I hope you are enjoying so far. Also, the chapters will get longer as I go on and the story builds/my writing gets better! Comment below what you think will happen next...

37 hours and 15 minutes. That's how long it has been since Micheal died. Marilla was in shock. Matthew hadn't stopped crying. Their mother was unresponsive, sitting there like a rock with no mind.

Marilla got up that day and went to town. She found a decent casket, found a way to get a gravestone, and set a date for his funeral with the priest.

Almost all of Avonlea showed up that day. Micheal had been loved by so many people. Marilla didn't even care that her crush of many years, John Blythe, had shown up. The only people she cared to be there were Matthew, her mother, and her closest friend Rachel.

Marilla changed that day. She changed from the girl with a constant smile to a sad 16-year-old, with more responsibility and burden on her shoulders then a child should ever have. That's what she was, a child. Marilla was a child that was forced to grow up too fast. She would have to raise her brother and make sure they had food and clothing.

At the funeral, Rachel held her close as Marilla sobbed. She spoke a few words for Micheal, then collapsed all over again. Her mother sat and watched. Matthew sat curled in a ball behind a tree crying. 

When the funeral had ended, John Blythe looked up and saw Marilla crying. His father had passed away a few years previous, so he knew exactly what she was going through. He started walking over to the girl when he got nervous.

What if he messed something up? What if he said something wrong?

John Blythe glanced at her one more time before walking off. Marilla, who had seen him starting to head over, started feeling even worse. She wished he had come over. Maybe he could have made her feel somewhat better.

But he never did. He hesitated while walking, but never stopped. She wouldn't speak with him until later that day. That conversation would not go how either of them expected, but it would be the start of something new.

2 hours later ~~~

Everybody had gone inside at this point in the funeral. Poor Matthew had gone upstairs over an hour ago with tears streaming down his face. Marilla was aching inside at the thought that her elder brother truly was dead. On top of all that, Marilla was mad. Ever since she had seen John Blythe start to walk over, she couldn't get him off her mind. Why did he turn away? She decided if he tried to come over again, she would ignore him. 

When you are sad, you don't think straight. When you are sad AND mad, you can make the strange thoughts turn into horrible mistakes and regrets. And that is exactly what Marilla did.

After coming to a firm decision that she would be very angry at John Blythe, Marilla heard a floorboard creak behind her. She swiftly turned around and saw none other than John Blythe himself.

Marilla forgot her anger, just for a small moment. 'He's so handsome with his curls an- NO STOP IT BRAIN' she thought to herself.

John gave her a confused glance after seeing the look on her face.

"Are you- are you alright?" John asked with a soft uncertainty. Marilla glared at him. "Sorry. I know you aren't alright." John said with a voice full of remorse. 

"And how would you know that?" Marilla shot back. John got a confused look on his face, then cautiously replied, "Because my father died a few years ago. Just know if you need any help I will be happy-" John stopped at the look full of rage that overtook Marilla's face. For a moment, he had thought he had seen a flicker of remorse in her eyes. Apparently not.

"How dare you. How dare you think I am not capable of doing things for myself! Do I look like I need your help? No! I most certainly do not." Marilla screamed at him, her raven hair falling like thunder clouds around her shoulders.

"Sorry I- I just thought you would like it if somebody was there to help out!" John replied during her short breathing break. 

But Marilla didn't listen. She yelled so much it got the quiet, peaceful boy in love with her angry. Very angry. He couldn't keep it in so he let it out.

"Compared to my mother and me, you are VERY lucky. You have help. You will be much better off than I am! With all your advantages, wow. I can't believe you are so unnaceptant of a FRIEND'S help. Or am I even that." John burst out. The moment his mouth shut, he felt regret coursing through his veins.

"Lucky," Marilla whispered. It was the kind of whisper that means death is near. Either death or an EXTREME punishment, "You think I am lucky," Marilla met his eyes and gave him a look full of more disgust than a human should be physically able to show upon their face.

"I can't believe you," Marilla said in a voice dripping with hurt. Then she turned and left. She left the room, then the house, then the porch, then their land. She walked into the woods to the small hut she had built and sobbed. After crying for a few hours, she slowly drifted off into an uneasy sleep.


End file.
